Preventive anti-inflammatory activity of an aqueous extract of larrea divaricata cav. and digestive and hematological toxicity

Larrea divaricata Cav. commonly known as “jarilla hembra” is used in folklore medicine as anti-inflammatory. There was no scientific evidence justifying the medicinal use of the aqueous extract for inflammation diseases. Nowadays, there are two principal types of anti-inflammatory drugs: Steroidal a...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Davicino, Roberto Carlos, Peralta, Ignacio Nahuel, Martino, Renzo Fabricio, Alonso, Rosario, Anesini, Claudia Alejandra
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2015
Country:Argentina
Institution:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repository:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/18394
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/18394
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Larrea divaricata
Anti-inflammatory activity
Nordihydroguaiaretic acid
Aqueous extract
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
Description
Summary:Larrea divaricata Cav. commonly known as “jarilla hembra” is used in folklore medicine as anti-inflammatory. There was no scientific evidence justifying the medicinal use of the aqueous extract for inflammation diseases. Nowadays, there are two principal types of anti-inflammatory drugs: Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (corticosteroids) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which exert gastrointestinal ulceration and bleeding. In this work the preventive anti-inflammatory activity of L. divaricata aqueous extract (AE) in C3H/He mice was determined by carrageenan- induced inflammation and ear edema tests, also its toxicity on gastric tissues and on blood cells was studied. The chromatographic profile showed: nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) as majority compound. AE exerted anti-inflammatory action without inducing gastric or blood cell toxicities. Also, it could modulate anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory cytokines. NDGA was not the compound responsible of the anti-inflammatory action. This work rescues the potentiality of AE as a gastric and blood cells innocuous anti-inflammatory agent and confirms its ethno- pharmacological uses.